Our speakers today were four people who work with the Buffalo Theatre Ensemble. This is a professional theatre group which has been producing shows for 30 years. They are back at College of DuPage and are working on their new production “Improper Fiction” which will run from May 4th through June 4th at the Mac Center “Playhouse” which seats 186 people.

Their treasurer John Rutledge spoke of the financial costs to produce a show and the things they are doing to raise funds to keep the group in business. Their first Annual Fund Raiser will start April 15, 2017.

Vice President Kathy Wessel gave us an overview of the makeup of the actors and the work involved in a production. Bula Bulicek who is the Stage Manager for the ensemble went over the creation of a play which includes costumes, lighting, stage sets, all of the actors getting to know each other, memorization of the play etc. Also in the group was Sandra Brennan.

The upcoming play takes place in the writing groups Chairman’s house. A group of writers who meet to build friendship and review the stories they are writing get very involved in acting out some of the stories.

For more information on the group and ticket information, visit btechicago.com. The Buffalo Theatre Ensemble’s headquarters is at 415 Melrose Avenue, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137.

April 11, 2017

Wheaton Lion Mike Gresk introduced our speaker Kalle Selander, Head of Department Development & City Plannning Industry and Commerce for the city of Kariskoga, Sweden, who is visiting the United States with his assistant Ylva Elotsson to see the Swedish Hockey Team play and catch up with friends.

Kalle discussed his background which included him attending school in Indianapolis, IN. and graduating from Michigan University. He was a kicker on the Michigan Football Team. He later got his PHD. He was a soldier in the Special Forces in both America and Sweden.

Kalle and Ylva then showed us a slide show of Kariskoga and he gave a nice talk about this city of 30,000 people. It is a major business community and has 2,200 companies in the city. The area is surrounded by 51 lakes and it houses the Nobel Museum which honors the Nobel Laureates. The museum opened in 2001 in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Prize which was started by Alfred Nobel.

Kalle pointed out that the Lions Club is very strong in Sweden. He also pointed out that Sweden is a liberal country and has very good and strong relations with the USA.

Jeffrey spoke to us, along with his power point pictures, about the history of Cantigny. The original house was built by Chicago Tribune owner and founder Joseph Medill in 1896. His Architect Charles A. Coolidge designed a white clapboard farmhouse with a classical portico for the front facade. Joseph gave the house to his daughter and her husband Robert Sanderson McCormick in 1898. Robert was a diplomat who served in England, France and Russia. They then gave the house to their son Robert Rutherford McCormick in 1910. He was the editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune for 44 years and founded WGN Radio. He was elected Alderman of Chicago’s 21st Ward and became president of the Chicago Sanitary District in 1905. He graduated from Northwestern University Law School and became President of the Chicago Tribune.

In 1915 he became a citizen-soldier serving in the Illinois National Guard and then fought in World War I in the First Infantry Division and was in a memorable battle at Cantigny France. He was promoted to Colonel and was known as Colonel McCormick after that. Upon coming home he decided that the home needed to be bigger and after the additions were added, the house had 44 rooms. He died at home in Wheaton in 1955 at age 74.

Jeffrey explained that the McCormick estate has 500 acres, 36 acres of gardens, 27 holes of golf and the War Museum. The gardens, parks and museum are going to have a number of repairs, changes and additions over the next two years. The McCormick Foundation is a very generous donor and donated $77 million last year to charities. Their endowment fund is $1,500,000.